Workplace Diversity - Ford Motors
Ford Motors is an esteemed automobile manufacturer that provides great value to their customers without altering their product strategy as per the country they operate in. The company holds 100 manufacturing plants in the United States, Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, and many more. It provides employment to more than 350,000 people globally.
Ford’s key business blueprint whirls around workplace diversity and entry in every level of the company’s operations. Their diversity can be noticed right from the boardroom, to plant floors to the engineering center. They specifically mention that, it is their diversity that makes them a better and outstanding company.
The information we are going to share, about Ford Motors company is mentioned in many online sources that are available to the public. All the information was collected from the company’s website. The aim for collecting this information, is to get insights into company’s workplace diversity involvement.
Ford Motors – History of Diversity
In the early days, Ford Motor company took the required steps to assure that its workforce has mirrored the communities in which it does business. Within its first five years, Ford had based production or sales operations in the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, portions of Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and in Russia.
The CEO of the company, Henry Ford, in 1913, embraced a strategy, which greatly helped the company to meet its customer requirements. Through this strategy, the positions of some of the workers were modified and tempting wages and salaries were offered which were more than double the industry average at that time.
The 5 dollars a day tempted thousands of immigrants and African Americans to join the company. Ford effectively assembled a new American middle class car which made Ford Motor company, one of the first American companies to mirror the growing diversity of the United States.
Noticing the company’s day-by-day grow in diversity, Ford realized that it requires to strategically and effectively cope up with the diverse workforce to enable its execution strategy to work for company’s advantage. Thus, Ford perceived some measures, which they thought would preserve and also allure new diverse workforce rules and successfully does diversity execution and management. These measures included Ford Motors´ recognition as its global diversity vision of “Diversity and Inclusion”, of which some strategies are highlighted and explained below −
Global Diversity Vision at Ford − The vision of diversity and inclusion of Ford is to preserve diversity and inclusion environment. In order for Ford Motors to acquire its vision and strategy, it identified 5 strategic focuses that engages: (Strategic Areas of Focus, 2013)
Diverse Workforce − Employing people from all over the world regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, age, disability to devote to the company’s success story.
Respectful and Inclusive Work Environment − A working environment where no one is left out rather everyone is involved in the decision-making process as well as opinion sharing. Mutual respect for every individual’s cultural beliefs and personality is seen and believed.
Leading the Way − To assure that Ford Motors stands ”on top of the chart” above other esteemed companies, by moving one step ahead from them as a whole in terms of workplace diversity and productivity.
Work life Integration − This integration includes workers making choices as well as exercising control of their life´s dares in order to meet their goals. In noticing the impact of the work life integration strategy, the company traced a conducive-working environment for workers to successfully combine personal lives with their working life, henceforth encouraging them to work productively, effectively and efficiently.
External Partnerships − Ford Motors constructed partnership sales group, which targets at giving large discounts to employees, retirees and spouses of eligible partner companies to oblige as goodwill and a means to avail workplace diversity.
Global Diversity Challenges at Ford
Ford Motors had confronted numerous challenges and has since continued to progress on their strategies to manage these challenges in order to continue with their story regarding workplace diversity. Given below are some of the challenges −
Assembling a Structure and Guideline for Different Religious groups − One of the challenges that Ford motors confronted was the ability to effectively form a structure and the best guideline that all workers from different religious backgrounds could adapt, and could accept and follow irrespective of their belief. It took some time to overcome, as the workers too were unable to understand how to work with their own faith and support others with different faith at the same time.
Developing Solutions and New Strategies − One of the major challenges at ford is to constantly develop new diversity solutions and strategies to manage workplace diversity, as well as discover new and effective methods of doing things.
To be Fair to all − Ford Motors has been making a brilliant effort to battle the challenge of being open and fair to all workers, by generating equal opportunity for all employees to render their full potentials in the various roles they play.
Effective Diversity Education − To effectively educate workers on diversity and it practicalities have been one of the challenges at ford as the company contends to assure successful diversity execution.
Diversity Management Tools at Ford
To successfully manage a diverse workforce as well as continue to sponsor its diversity initiative, Ford Motors formed various meetings and outreach groups that targets to educate and serve as a tool to address diversity challenges as well as assist employees through the day-to-day activities both at work and their personal lives. To mention but a few, some of the groups are briefed as follows −
Disabled Employees (FEDA) − FEDA aims to assure that, disabled employees enjoy flexible and comfortable working environment by facilitating them the required resources and networking tools.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) − This group is a collaborative corporate-sponsored employee resource group. It renders support network and adds to employee’s professional development.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender Employees (GLOBE) − The group firmly supports the company's Equal Employment Opportunity policy. It renders networking and supports employee’s freedom of choice.
The employees African-Ancestry Network (FAAN) − The group was formed since 1994 to avail leadership and development with the help of counseling and dialogues on diversity with high level management. It also establishes seminars and mentoring programs for employees.
Asian Indian Association (FAIA) − The group targets on grooming the competencies of employees to help them become strong leaders. It also patterns a community and corporate citizenship outreach, as well as sponsor Ford brand.
The Interfaith Network (FIN) − FIN aims to avail religious tolerance and understanding, peace and decency of all humans. The group brings together employees of all religious backgrounds to intend their belief in a meaningful and appropriate way.
